This flavor-packed and easy dairy-free carbonara pasta recipe takes the creaminess of eggs, the saltiness of bacon, and the freshness of lemon juice to give you a delightfully addictive dish!
I put it in my favorite pasta recipes list, next to my Salmon Pesto, Shrimp and Pancetta, and Sausage and Veggie Pasta. It's so good you'd never guess it's dairy-free!
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The best part? No one can tell it gets ready in less than an hour! Fancy, restaurant-quality food in the comfort of your home, at a lower price that cooks quickly - that's definitely a dream!
Although there are a few ways to make this dairy-free version of carbonara pasta your own, like adding garlic powder or using dairy-free cream, if you want the best results, follow the recipe to the letter!
Why This Recipe Works
It's Not Much Work! This is a gem of an easy weeknight pasta dinner or date night recipe! All it takes is about thirty minutes to get it on your plate.
Restaurant-Quality Dish! This dairy-free carbonara pasta is as close to the authentic carbonara recipe as it gets! It's creamy, tangy, and smokey - just how we want it! Yummy!
Short and Simple Ingredient List. There's nothing on the ingredient list that you don't already have in your kitchen. You can easily make this delicious pasta dish whenever you crave a one-of-a-kind meal.
A Breeze to Make it a Full Meal. I can eat this deliciousness on its own on any day of the week. But if you want to make it a complete meal - go for it! Crusty garlic bread is a classic. Or you can go with a bowl of soup and a crunchy green salad! Even succulent baked chicken will taste phenomenal!
Ingredients for the Best Dairy Free Carbonara Pasta
Pasta: I love long pasta, like linguini or spaghetti pasta, for this recipe. It's traditional for carbonara, and I find it works best with the creamy sauce. But there are no rules here. Use whatever is available. Just stick to the package instructions for cooking pasta to al dente.
Eggs: That's our main ingredient for this recipe! It'll give our sauce a creamy texture. If you're worried about raw eggs in the recipe, don't be! The hot pasta water will temper the eggs to a perfectly safe temperature. Remember, you aren't aiming for scrambled eggs!
Nutritional Yeast: Here's where we'll get the umami cheesy vibe for our dairy-free carbonara recipe.
Turkey Bacon: The real carbonara recipe uses pancetta. It's salt-cured pork belly meat and pretty common in Italian cooking. But I found bacon to be a great substitute for anyone who avoids pork. It's salty, meaty, and just as flavorful!
Hot Pasta Water: Pay special attention to this one! We'll need this to temper the eggs and keep the sauce creamy. Save a cup of pasta water and add it gently. You don't have to add all of it. Just make the sauce creamy and smooth.
Lemon Juice: The original carbonara dish has cheese in it. So, there's obviously some tang there, too. Since we're skipping the cheese, we'll need a squeeze of lemon juice to balance the flavors.
Peas: This ingredient is more of a final touch! It brings some color and texture to the dish. You can leave it out or replace it with veggies of your choice. Whatever pleases your taste buds.
Don't miss out on the essentials like salt and black pepper!
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix together the eggs, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper.
Step 2: Cook the bacon in a skillet then chop it into small pieces.
Step 3: Mix together the chopped bacon, cooked pasta, and egg mixture in the skillet.
Step 4: Continue cooking over medium heat and add in peas. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
The following tips will come in handy if it's your first time making this tasty pasta:
- NEVER throw away your remaining pasta water. This dish soaks up water pretty fast. You might need some more in a bit.
- Add a hint of soy sauce for enhanced umami vibes! It will pair up with nutritional yeast for a delightful flavor boost.
- There's no need for olive oil when crisping your bacon, but if you love the flavor, feel free to add some. Just SOME!
- Make sure your pasta is still hot before adding the egg mixture - it'll help cook it a little. Don't turn the heat on! It'll scramble the eggs!
Variations to Try
- Use vegan parmesan cheese to get closer to the traditional carbonara flavor. You can also add non-dairy milk like coconut milk - no problem!
- Grind cashews or pine nuts in the food processor and add them to your egg mixture for a super creamy sauce! If you want to keep it nut-free, go with sunflower seeds. Like my Dairy Free Pesto!
- Throw in some more veggies, like bell peppers, baby spinach, broccoli, or asparagus, for a healthier and crunchier bite!
- Add herbs like parsley, chives, thyme, or basil to your pasta for extra freshness.
- Use vegan bacon and silken tofu (in place of eggs) for a vegan version!
Frequently Asked Questions
Pull out your favorite airtight container, let everything cool completely, and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, reheat it in a pan with some additional pasta water (even plain hot water would work) to bring back that creamy texture. You can even microwave it for a minute or so.
Er, no! I don't recommend freezing this dish - the texture won't hold up!
I'd serve this pasta dish up with a fresh salad or delicious breadsticks!
Related Recipes
If you tried this Dairy Free Carbonara Pasta, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Dairy-Free Carbonara
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- large pot
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta I used gluten-free spaghetti!
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup peas
- 5 slices of turkey bacon
- 1.5 cups pasta water
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Boil your pasta according to the package and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
- In a large skillet, cook your bacon until crispy. About 5 minutes.
- Remove the bacon and chop.
- In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk.
- Slowly add the pasta water and whisk to combine.
- Add the pasta and bacon back to the skillet and pour the sauce over them. Stir well to coat the pasta.
- Stir in peas and enjoy!
Notes
- NEVER throw away your remaining pasta water. This dish soaks up water pretty fast. You might need some more in a bit.
- Add a hint of soy sauce for enhanced umami vibes! It will pair up with nutritional yeast for a delightful flavor boost.
- There's no need for olive oil when crisping your bacon, but if you love the flavor, feel free to add some. Just SOME!
- Make sure your pasta is still hot before adding the egg mixture - it'll help cook it a little. Don't turn the heat on! It'll scramble the eggs!
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